Help the Newer Roller Operator Through His First Cold-Weather Balancing Act 

Veteran roller operators know the drill, but any newer crew members or folks who’ve joined the industry this season might not be ready for cold-weather paving. Or cold-weather compaction. Let’s talk about keeping roller marks out of the equation as well.  ​

If your roller operators wish to warm the drums (or tires) by staying on the hottest part of the mat, they could be jeopardizing density. It’s a balancing act to get perfect density without overcompacting on a normal day; add lower ambient temperatures or cool autumn breezes and you have all new calculations. Here are some tips to protect the mat from divots and indents.

• Never stop the roller on the hottest part of the mat. (This goes for any time of year.)
• When stopping to change direction, do so slowly and at a diagonal so the resulting “shove” of material is slight and easier to roll out on subsequent passes. If your automatic system doesn’t do this for you, remember to turn off vibration one roller length prior to stopping.
• When you must park the roller, stop on the cooler part of the mat where the machine is less likely to “sink,” and stop at a diagonal. For cool-weather paving, rather than parking the roller, turn off vibration/oscillation and roll slowly in static mode on warm parts of the mat. Again, it will be a balancing act to remain in motion to keep drums on a warm mat while remaining in proper rolling zones. Work with the QC tech to determine how to accomplish this without breaking aggregate in the layers (overcompacting).
• Monitor fuel and water use. You’ll give drums or tires too much time to cool if you have an unplanned stop far from the paving train to refill. It’s better to be aware when fuel or water is running low so you can have the general laborers help you before it’s a crisis. Stop the roller at a diagonal on a cool part of the mat, refill efficiently, and get back to best rolling practices.

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